On Saturday, President Trump is set to make history. A conflict that has spanned my entire life could be coming to a close. That is what the spin will be when a peace agreement between the United States and the Taliban is signed. I would caution that this agreement is far from the end of violence in Afghanistan. The outline of the agreement would result in the reduction of U.S. troops and direct negotiations between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban. U.S. troops would likely stay in the country in a smaller capacity throughout major cities such as Kabul.
Last week after months of investigations by the Afghanistan Elections Commission, President Ashraf Ghani claimed victory with just over 50% of the vote. His primary opponent, Abdullah Abdullah, is calling the results illegal. The Taliban has echoed these claims, making it impossible to see how they will be able to hold direct negotiations with a leader they view as illegitimate.
